3843/Meanwhile, in Hawaii

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Meanwhile, in Hawaii
Date of Scene: 17 October 2020
Location: Somewhere in Hawaii
Synopsis: Conner takes Hope to Hawaii for some R&R
Cast of Characters: Conner Kent, Hope Summers




Conner Kent has posed:
Okay, so it mid-October when finally Conner and Hope find a weekend when they can forget about New York and Gotham and the US in general. Finally. To be honest, Conner is a bit nervous until they actually take off.

Something would go wrong. Because the dating game with superheroes is such a mess.

But nope, it is noon when they leave, because they are crossing six timezones. And Conner, flying low enough to have air to breathe and keep a reasonable temperature, doesn't dare to go faster then match five. And it is five thousand miles. So, a bit over an hour in Superboy airlines (snacks only if they stop in Los Angeles).

It is not too uncomfortable, he has telekinesis and can shield her. Technically, he doesn't even need to carry Hope in his arms. But he might have forgotten to tell her. Some things are too fun to be avoided.

It is about seven in the morning when they get to Honolulu. Just in time for see the dawn. Except it is raining.

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope has travelled in various ways before. This is admittedly a little new if only for the length of the trip, but she doesn't seem unsettled by the flight. Or, honestly, by the rain after they land.

"It figures," she laughs, taking a few steps back to stretch her legs and get her feet under herself. Arms to her side, she turns in a circle, head tipped back toward the sky. "We finally get free and make it to Hawaii, and it's //raining//. Well."

Conner Kent has posed:
"Yeah, just our luck. Still, there are many islands, I am sure we can find one without rain." In fact he is going to check his cellphone right now. Honolulu is a nice city, but it is not the only one or the best place."

He keeps close to Hope, taking her hand if she lets him. That way he can shield her from the rain with the tactile telekinesis. "Lets get some breakfast meanwhile?" He suggests.

Hope Summers has posed:
"Yeah, sure. The flight make you hungry?" Hope hesitates for a moment when he takes her hand, shifting her own a few times until she finds a position that feels...right. She may be uncertain about things and inexperienced, but at least she doesn't seem to be too shy about working it out.

With every step, she's taking in her surroundings. The beach, the streets, the tourists. Sure, some of it's a defensive habit. But at least some of it also seems to be genuine curiosity. This sort of safe place isn't something she's run into much.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Not really, I don't really get hungry... usually," Conner is solar-powered, after all. "But it has been ages since I last ate a taro bagel, and I bet you have never eaten one." He grins, pointing to the beachfront. Cafes are open or opening already. And we can look for a rain-free island. October usually has good weather, rain season starts in November."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Wait, really?" Hope quirks a brow, turning as she walks to actually look at him for a moment instead of her surroundings. "Like...ever?" Both brows rise this time as she goes back to walking, mulling that over. "Huh. I'm not sure how I feel about that." She's definitely thinking it over though, examining it from every possible angle.

Conner Kent has posed:
"No, not ever," explains Conner. "I can get hungry if I burn all my power and there is no sunlight. Or when I get stabbed with kryptonite and my powers are shut down." That doesn't explain why he eats more snack food that any other Outsider but Bart. Or maybe that explains it.

He gives Hope an inquiring look. "Oh, c'mon. It is not that weird." Beat. Okay, it might be a little weird. "I mean, I bet there are many mutants that don't need to eat either. Er... right?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"I can't say I can think of any," Hope muses. "I mean, I'm not saying it's weird or wrong or anything," she adds quickly, looking over with a flash of a smile. "Just something I never really thought about as a possibility. Like...you eat, still. So you're metabolizing food. Or something."

She's definitely thinking it over again, putting together the possibilities. "There were definitely a lot of times my life would've been easier if I didn't have to eat. But I figure that's true for most people. Huh."

Conner Kent has posed:
That is not a first world problem, but Conner is not going to disagree. Hope is thin, and if Phoebe is right Hope knows very well what being really, really hungry means. "Or something. Anyway. Taro Bagels. Even if I don't have to eat to live, I wouldn't want to miss tasting them." He pushes the door of the cafe open, inviting Hope inside. Despite the rain, it is not cold. Much warmer than the Gotham they left, despite being so early here.

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope can't help but do her usual survey as she steps inside again. Entries. Exits. Potential threats. Potential weapons. It's automatic for her. But once she's determined the important parts, she's ready to take a look at the food she can see. "What's taro?" she asks. On the up side, questions like that are less weird here. They see enough tourists that it isn't strange for people to wonder about things.

Conner Kent has posed:
"It is a root vegetable," explains Conner. "I thought it was Hawaiian, but actually it is common in Eastern Asia too. It is sweet, but not quite like sugar, it is, hmm, like starch?"

He handwaves, "just try it. I think you will like it." He is obviously going to get one for himself, and invite Hope. He check the cell again. "No rain in Kaho'olawe. Great!"

Hope Summers has posed:
"Oh, I'm gonna try it," Hope assures, laughing. "I'll try anything. It's definitely going to be better than most of the things I are before I got to this general time period. You may not have noticed, but I don't generally turn down food for any possible reason."

She reaches up to push her hands through her hair as they approach the counter, bringing a little order to it after the wind and the rain. Luckily, that new hair cut accounts for the awkwardness of her entire life and lack of hairstyling skills.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner likes the new haircut. But he might be a bit biased in most Hope-related issues. He orders two taro bagels, adds a sugary drink for him, "what do you want to drink?" He asks Hope, paying with a credit card. "I noticed," he confirms regarding her comment. "I also noticed you are always looking for threats and the ways out of rooms and buildings. I suppose it is your training. I guess... the future is not great."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Mine wasn't," Hope shrugs in regards to the future. "But we changed that. I think. And besides, this is a totally different place. Could I have, ah...I dunno. Some sort of fresh juice?" she guesses, looking over the menu and flashing a distracted smile at the person behind the counter.

"The checking entrances and exits is just smart though. You never know when something's going to happen."

Conner Kent has posed:
"Superman thinks I might be from the future myself," comments Conner as Hope gets a coconut juice along her bagel. "Because I understand some Kryptonian. Which no one in this current time should besides the three or four Kryptonians living on Earth. I don't know what to think."

He gets a table with views to the beach. The sun is up, but it is cloudy. Honolulu is nicer with more sunlight. But Conner would say that about anywhere. "I guess I will know soon. Tim has already a few clues about NOWHERE." And they have poked the hornet's nest. Trouble is coming.

Hope Summers has posed:
"Maybe it's a genetic memory," Hope suggests as she slides into her seat. "Some species are like that. Kind of. I don't know any //sentient// species like that, but there are probably some. And maybe Kryptonians are one of them. //Or//," she pauses quirking a brow. "Maybe you don't really understand Kryptonian. Maybe it's like a low-level psychic ability." This she's comfortable talking about.

Conner Kent has posed:
Yeah, the Brood have genetic memory!

Kryptonians probably don't. If they did Supergirl wouldn't have been so surprised. So Conner grins and shakes his head. "Cool theories, but so the main one is I have memory implants. I speak like twelve human languages I don't remember to have learned. But I don't speak all human languages. Not even close."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Twelve is pretty comprehensive," Hope points out, smile wry. "I only really know one. Any time I've ever had to speak multiple languages I've been with a psychic who could help me cheat. Or had psychic powers loaded. I definitely miss some of that," she admits, propping her chin up in one hand.

Conner Kent has posed:
"I would say psychics cheat, but well..." memory implants is super-cheating. Conner smirks and attacks his bagel, "anyway, since no one is supposed to speak Kryptonian Superman thinks I might be from the future. But there could be some other explanation. Like... maybe aliens involved. This is a weird conversation even for my standards. I just wanted to talk about beaches, surfing and clubbing for a weekend, to be honest. Did you bring a swimsuit?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"I don't actually //own// a swimsuit," Hope admits, picking up her own bagel and giving it a curious sniff. "I've gone swimming a couple times at- with the team, but I've just borrowed one." She won't even say 'the school' for fear of giving away Xavier's. Even to a teammate. "But I'm pretty sure my clothes won't melt in the water," she grins, taking a healthy bite of the bagel.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Or we can be practical and go buy one, plenty shops in the beachfront," offers Conner with a brief smirk. He told her about the beaches and she was going to swim in her regular clothes? Uh huh. Conner brought a small backpack with clothes and stuff. He is starting to suspect Hope only brought guns! Because you never know when something is going to happen (that requires to be shoot) right?

Hope Summers has posed:
"I'm guessing not wearing anything is frowned upon," Hope smirks around a mouthful of bagel, twisting to look out the windows toward the beach. "One of those 'rules of society' things. Which is dumb. I mean, I've seen some of these bathing suits, and they're definitely not really covering anything. But, uh. Sure," she shrugs. "I can get one."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner opens mouth to object, but he is strongly distracted by the concept of Hope in the beach without anything on her. "Er..." maybe there are nudist beaches in Hawaii. Research needed! "Yeah, dumb society rules..." he agrees. "But you should own one or two swimsuit anyway. For the pool, or whatever." He finishes his bagel and his drink and glances out. Still raining. Where is Thor when he needs a sunny day?

Hope Summers has posed:
"One's probably enough," Hope grins, leaning back in her chair and enjoying the view as she eats her bagel. "This isn't the absolute first time I've ever gone swimming, but it's not far from it. And it's not the sort of thing I do all the time. Besides, what, are you all going to judge me if you see me wearing the same one more than once?" she teases. "Somehow, I doubt it."

Conner Kent has posed:
"I won't judge for what you wear, or not wear, promise," replies Conner, grinning again. "But I want you to have nice things," he says, more seriously. "Things normal people have. Like taro bagels, swimsuits to choose, or places you can feel safe. Well... normal things."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Is that normal?" Hope quirks a brow, looking around them again. Sure, there's some of the usual soldierly check to it. But she's also taking in the few early birds sharing the cafe with them. "I think people want to believe it's normal. But I've seen a lot of people who didn't have it easy or have those things. They should," she adds quickly. "Especially a place to feel safe. But there are plenty of people who don't." Shrugging, she looks back to him. "I get by just fine," she assures with a crooked smile. "Trust me. If I //need// something, I get it."

Conner Kent has posed:
If that is normal is a good question. It is taken for granted. It is not the same. "I am not going to get that philosophical right now," decides Conner. "But it is not just about needs. It is also about things that make life pleasant. Living, not merely surviving."

Did he say he was not going to get philosophical? He better stop. "So, let me give you some nice thins, hmm? Although now we should get flying again. This time just a few minutes, Kaho'olawe is just around the corner."

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope packs away the last of her bagel, chipmunk-cheeked for a moment as she chews her way through it. "Should we get a suit here, or there?" she asks around the food, brushing her hands off as she stands. "I dunno if one of these places has more shops or something. You're the Hawaii expert," she grins.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Here, there is no shops there," admits Conner. And they are going to have to find a place that opens early here. "The island has no inhabitants, which is a plus for finding a spot on the beach. But it also has no fresh water or... well, c'mon. We have to buy some stuff. We need water, maybe some food. And I just remember redheads should not be under the sun without protection. And I want to find a surfboard, maybe rent one." So he offers Hope his hand again. For telekinetic rain-protection, mostly.

Hope Summers has posed:
"Oh sure, no fresh water, sounds great," Hope smirks, teasing. "You take me the best places." Brat. She does reach out to take his hand, though she's not all that worried about the rain. Or the sun, for that matter. "Trust me, this wouldn't be the first time I got sunburn. Besides, worse comes to worst I'll just visit Laura when we get back and everything'll be fine." Healing mutants are great to have around when you can borrow their powers.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Up to you," offers Conner, heading out and towards the beachfront. Because yes, there are some people there despite the rain. Even in the water. Despite being very early the temperature is in the 70s. Much warmer than Gotham.

And of course some tourist shops are open, they even sell swimsuits. Conner puts some water bottles in his bag. And some food. No surfboards around, but he get one later.

Hope Summers has posed:
The concept of sizing is still a little bit beyond Hope. Especially for things like swim suits, which frankly take an advanced degree to figure out even if you've been wearing sized clothes your entire life. While Conner picks up snacks and water, she's rifling through the racks for something that isn't neon or floral, finally finding a basic black two-piece of the very traditional two triangles for a top and two triangles for a bottom sort. Considering most of the sizing is done via ties? Very practical. She holds it up in front of herself, then gives the strings a quick inspection to see how it works. "Doesn't look too complicated," she muses, holding it up with a quirk of a brow for Conner's opinion.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner smirks at the color aversion. "We are not going to sneak anywhere... well, technically we are. But colors doesn't matter. Get a couple more, because if you don't like it later, options are good."

He adds some cheap sunglasses to the bag. Maybe it will be very sunny. But given the cloud cover in most of the other islands... probably not. Then he waits for Hope to be ready.

Hope Summers has posed:
"Trust me, if I was going to sneak anywhere, this would not be my outfit of choice," Hope smirks. "Not a lot in the neighborhood of protection." As if inspired by tht thought, she grabs a blue rash guard off a rack, then blindly picks up a one-piece in a dark green fern pattern. She's not really used to making...choices, so it comes out a little random, but hey, at least she's trying. Passing by a display, she grabs a large blanket as well. Definitely for sitting on and not at all because it looks like it could be used for shelter in an emergency.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner pays for it all. Even the blanket. He has a towel, but choices are good. It is vacations weekend, after all. Then picks up everything, including the redhead, and... whoosh. Flying southeast to the desert island.

"Plus side, whole island just for us," he offers, fifteen minutes trip. "Or maybe there will be some restorationists, but I can avoid them. The place is kinda barren. It was used for military as training place last century. Supposedly there are unexploded bombs they didn't clean up and stuff. Also, there was a... goat ecological disaster. Fun stories. Beaches are good." Because it is not the first time he sneaks in there with friends, clearly.

Hope Summers has posed:
"Unexploded bombs?" Of course that's the part that Hope picks up on. And actually sounds interested in. "Sounds like an interesting place." She watches the water and the islands pass below as they fly. "Wow," she grins. "That water is...it's so beautiful. I've never seen antyhing that clear and bright."

Conner Kent has posed:
"They actually did a cleanup. It took me hours to find a bomb last time," because yes, of course, Conner went looking for bombs. That is what reckless sixteen year-old clones with no common sense would do. But hey, that was a two years ago. He is smarter now (maybe!).

"It didn't explode," he adds, clarifying.

Hawaii is beautiful, even when raining. The island in question is not that cool, though, due to lack of water. Scrubs and a few small trees. But the beach Conner picks is white sand, big waves and deep blue sea. No rain, although there are some clouds. "This seems like a good place. I saw some people, but they are three miles away."

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope chuckles at the update, taking the blanket and shaking it out over the sand. "Three miles sounds like plenty of space," she agrees. "They probably won't wander in while I'm getting changed." Rifling through the bags, she pulls out the black swimsuit and takes a look around before shrugging to herself. Shoes off first, then she starts to shimmy out of her jeans, apparently unconcerned. "Okay, so how's this day at the beach thing work?" she asks as she starts to get changed.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Goes like this," offers Conner, who actually has a plan (vague plan), "we swim, we talk, we sunbathe, we go swimming some more, maybe diving to see cool things. When you get tired of all the sea and sun, we get back to Honolulu for food, and then go to a club. If it is not raining, maybe we can do some sightseeing instead of clubbing."

Hope getting undressed before him, so shamelessly, makes him shut up and blink slowly. But finally he passes the willpower check, turning back to be a gentleman. He also pulls off his shirt and jeans. He has swimming trunks.

Hope Summers has posed:
"That's a whole plan," Hope laughs. It's hard to tell if she's approving of the plan itself or the fact that he made one, complete with contingencies, but hey, at least she sounds happy with it. It doesn't take her long to get the swimsuit figured out and on, though there's a little bit of tugging at the ties until she's sure everything is where it's supposed to be.

The swimsuit does fit, though there's really only so much to see there. Hope's filled out a little in the past few months, but she's always going to be on the slender side. Perhaps more surprising is the absence of any scars, given what she's said about her past.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner gives Hope and appreciative once over. Since she has said a couple times copying Laura is a good habit, the absence of scars is not too surprising. Conner himself is not as fast a healer as the dark-haired mutant girl, but he has just -one- scar. A nasty cut in his abdomen caused not so long ago by a kryptonite knife and the subsequent surgery. Despite his healing abilities, that scar is going to be there for a few years.

"You look great," he confirms. "So, how good a swimmer you are? This not a pond. They call it the Pacific, but it is not usually the peaceful ocean kind."

Hope Summers has posed:
"I can stay afloat. I mean," Hope pauses, ruffling a hand through her hair. "I've kept afloat in the past, but I can't say I've spent a lot of time practicing or doing it." She turns, starting to back toward the water with a grin. "I'm pretty sure if I start to drown, someone can //probably// drag me out in time. Assuming //you// can swim?" she arches a brow, teasing.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Yeah, I can swim a little," Conner smirks, "and I'll keep an eye on you," beat, "all the time, just in case." He spreads his towel, finds a shadowy place for the water and food, and then heads for the water. "Watch out for sharks, too," because he can also tease.

Hope Summers has posed:
"The sharks can watch out for me," Hope laughs, turning around and running over to the edge of the water. She goes in about to her knees, leaning down to splash her hands into the water as well. There's something pure about it - she's just trying to experience all of it, to the fullest extent possible.

Conner Kent has posed:
There is also a five feet tall wave coming. And it is not really a big one. Given the weather Conner expects a few twice as large. He does plan to fly back to a town and grab a surfboard at some point during the day. Teaching surfing basics to Hope will be fun.

Meanwhile he heads forward, and the wave hits him when he is about waist deep, engulfing him. Good times. It is not cold, despite being October. Tropical weather is nice.

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope laughs, turning her face into her shoulder as the water splashes over Connor. "Wow, it's nice," she grins, rushing a little deeper until she can lean forward and start swimming...if you can call that swimming. It's definitely more along the lines of a doggy paddle, but she knows how to stay afloat. She can manage without drowning. "It's warm, and it's bright and..." Rolling to her back, she floats looking up to the sky with a contented sigh. "You can just feel everything around you."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner laughs with her. This is why he lived here for so long. Sun, water and not a worry in the world. Except for the occasional supercriminal. Most time super-crime was dealt with his friends and peer, though.

He floats for a couple minutes, except for the times the waves try to pull him down. Then glances at Hope. Hopefully (pun intended) she is not drowning yet. "Want a free swimming lesson, Red?" He asks.

Hope Summers has posed:
"I can feel your judgment when you ask that," Hope grins, turning her head to look over at him and promptly needing to get back to treading water to keep from splashing herself into trouble. "But yeah, okay. Teach me something new, Super-swimmer."

Conner Kent has posed:
Hey, it is not every day Conner gets to be the one that knows things. Being Tim's best friend is hard for a boy's ego. And the others were also at least veterans at being teenagers (or learned at super-speed, in one particular case).

So, the next few hours of swimming, sunbathing (Hope is likely to end up sunburned, despite some cloud cover), more swimming, diving and surfing (once Conner gets back to a town and picks up a scuba mask and a board) he can be the one being the guide. It is a pleasant change.

Hope Summers has posed:
There are a lot of things Hope knows. Relaxing and having fun...is still a relatively new one. But she's giving it a real try today, laughing and diving in - sometimes literally. She's a quick study, especially at the physical things. She's had to be in her life. It's nice for it not to be life or death for once, instead of pressuring herself. By the time she drags herself out of the water for food, she's definitely on the pink side. Luckily, that blanket //can// be turned into shelter with just a little help from the surfboard and some of the other things they've brought, turning it into a teepee under which she can throw herself in contented exhaustion. "Did we build nap time into the plan?" she laughs, looking over at Conner.

Conner Kent has posed:
The surfboard works as sunshade, and Conner puts his towel aside Hope's blanket and out the shade. He won't get a tan, which ironically means he is almost as pale as Hope.

"Nap? You mean like... stopping? Isn't that heretical?" He teases. Then he hands her one of the water bottles, and leans down. "Nah, go ahead with the nap. I plan to keep you busy a few more hours later."

Hope Summers has posed:
Hope takes a long drink, then another, leaving the bottle three quarters empty before she's finished. Even in the water, all of that swimming and activity works up a sweat. You just can't tell when it gets washed away. "Well, it would be if we were being pursued," she grins to his teasing. "Luckily, someone told me this was supposed to be fun. And relaxing." Her stomach rumbles as if on cue and she rolls from her back to her stomach, rummaging around in the bags. "But first, food. What new experiences did you pick up?"

Conner Kent has posed:
"Uh, here," just a couple sandwiches to distract the stomach until dinner later. Not even a Kryptonian can find good food in a tourist trap shop. So, about as tasty as a protein bar. Except without real protein.

(It might still be better than roasted radioactive rat).

"Still think Gotham is better than this?" He needed to ask.

Hope Summers has posed:
It definitely beats radioactive rat, especially when Hope's hungry from sun and swimming. There are no complaints from her as the munches contentedly on the sandwich. "I'm not sure I'd say //better//," she shrugs. "I mean, this is definitely great. No question. But I'm not sure I could do this forever. I'd get bored. Granted, it might take a minute," she admits, grinning around a mouthful. "But in the long run I'd be out looking for something a little more meaningful. Still. This is pretty awesome."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner chuckles, "yeah, one can even get tired of sun, beach and surfing. But there are cities in the island. Admittedly even Honolulu is not even a tenth the size of Gotham. But it is a nice place. Plenty to do."

He lies down on the beach, looking up to the sun directly. "I wish I could have brought here all the team for a week. Maybe next year, hmm? At lest I get you for a whole day."

Hope Summers has posed:
"Well we've got the plane now," Hope points out. "We could all come out any time. Just have to plan it. But yeah, it's nice to have a little relaxing time without having to think or worry about what anyone else might say or think," she admits. Granted, it might come as a surprise to think that Hope worries at all about what anyone else thinks about her. She's usually pretty self-sustaining.

Conner Kent has posed:
"November begins rain season," points out Conner. Which is still so much, much, much better weather than Gotham. But it is still four or five months of not so good weather and maybe a small hurricane or three.

The comment about others judging her makes him glance at the redhead again. "Don't tell me you are a mutant princess of something," he teases.

Hope Summers has posed:
"Nah, princess is Lorna's thing," Hope chuckles. "I'm the Messiah." It's a joke, right? She must be joking. Except she's sitting there eating her sandwich like she just said the most ordinary thing in the world.

Conner Kent has posed:
Yeah, that is even worse. Religion is like 50 percent worse than royalty. On the other hand. "Really? I had never met a messiah." Although Cassie is Zeus' daughter. Does that count?

He ponders the issue for a few, "okay, cool," he decides. At some point he realizes Hope must be talking about Lorna Dane of Genosha. Which makes him blink again. "Hey, do you want to nap or not?"

Hope Summers has posed:
"Eh, the really part is debatable, but. Yeah. There was some sort of prophecy that I was going to save mutantkind or destroy humanity, depending on who you asked. The source of my very unconventional childhood. I think I succeeded, at least. At saving mutants," Hope adds, in case it wasn't clear. "Not destroying humanity. I'm not out to destroy humanity." At the question, she laughs, rolling onto her back again and tucking her arms behind her head. "All right, all right. Nap time it is."